Odisha CM Majhi lays stone for water projects worth Rs 2,612 cr, urges people to stop wastage

Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for water resource projects worth Rs 2,612 crore during the state-level World Water Day celebrations held here.Of the total projects launched, the CM laid the foundation for 17 major projects worth around Rs 2,292 crore, while 124 completed projects involving nearly Rs 320 crore were dedicated to the people.Addressing the gathering, Majhi said even a single drop of water is invaluable for many across the world and urged citizens to pledge against water wastage. “The message of conserving every drop must reach every household,” he said.

Calling the Prime Minister’s Jal Jeevan Mission a transformative programme, he iterated Odisha’s commitment to providing clean piped drinking water to every home. He also highlighted the role of Jal Shakti Abhiyan and Catch the Rain campaign.Majhi said water security is a prerequisite for building a strong and developed Odisha. Women and self-help groups have been engaged as Jal Sathi to promote responsible water use.

He appealed to all residents to work collectively for water security.The CM outlined several ongoing initiatives, including efforts to supply clean water to remote areas, improve agricultural efficiency through the “more crop per drop” approach, and expand afforestation under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign.Majhi said the govt aims to raise Odisha’s crop intensity to 220% by 2036 and 250% by 2047, supported by groundwater recharge structures under the Chhata and Arua schemes.He cited the success of canal lining systems, rehabilitation programmes, the Lower Suktel irrigation project, and the Kusumi smart irrigation project, which together helped bring an additional 2.2 lakh hectares under irrigation in the last 21 months.During the event, the chief minister inaugurated the ‘Kalika’ childcare centre at Rajiv Bhavan and launched the pilot of an AI-driven citizen feedback mechanism, the ‘Bindu’ chatbot.Deputy chief minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, who also addressed the gathering, proposed that old low-level bridges should not be demolished at locations where high-level barrages are being built.Instead, he suggested fitting gates to utilise them for water conservation. The CM instructed officials to study the proposal and submit a detailed report. Once done, the project will be implemented in a fast-track approach, officials said.